U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, received the Military Order of the Purple Heart’s (MOPH) 2019 Inspirational Leader award for his work to protect the Purple Heart medal and enhance medical care for veterans. Senator Perdue’s No Hero Left Untreated Act became law in December 2018.

The Inspirational Leader award is given to one Member of Congress per year in recognition of outstanding leadership and legislative achievement.

“The women and men who have worn the uniform represent the very best of our nation. As Americans, we have a responsibility to uphold the commitments we made to our veterans, and it’s a job I take very seriously,” said Senator Perdue. “The Military Order of the Purple Heart has been a strong partner in our efforts to stop second-hand parties from selling our veterans’ treasured medals, and I appreciate their support for our bipartisan bill to increase access to innovative therapy options for veterans. I will continue to do all I can to honor the many sacrifices our service members have made and ensure veterans receive the care they deserve.”

“Since he first came to Washington, Senator Perdue has been a steadfast champion for our military, veterans, and their families,” said Doug Greenlaw, National Commander of Military Order of the Purple Heart. “On the Senate Armed Services Committee, he makes sure servicemembers have the tools they need to complete their missions, and his No Hero Left Untreated Act will give veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and TBI access to the cutting edge therapies they deserve. Importantly, his bill, the Purple Heart Preservation Act, would finally protect the Purple Heart Medal from being sold by non-recipients as a common collectible. Senator Perdue is deeply deserving of the 2019 MOPH Inspirational Leadership Award, and we are honored to present it to him.”

In 2017, Senator Perdue led a bipartisan group of senators in introducing the Private Corrado Piccoli Purple Heart Preservation Act, which places penalties on the sale of any Purple Heart awarded to a member of the Armed Forces.

Senator Perdue’s No Hero Left Untreated Act enhances medical care for America’s heroes by establishing a pilot program at two VA medical centers and enrolling up to 50 veterans in Magnetic EEG/ECG-Guided Resonance Therapy (MeRT) for a one-year period. This is an individualized non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive procedure that applies magnetic stimulation to help facilitate restoration of proper brain function in those who have suffered neurological injuries. The bill became law on December 21, 2018.